Abstract: tIn photosynthesis, the light absorption, electron transfer and energy conversion require the participation of four major protein complexes embedded in the thylakoid membranes, including photosystem II (PSII), cytochrome b6f complex (Cytb6/f), photosystem I (PSI), and ATP synthase. Land plants are often threatened by highly intensive light stress. In order to adapt to such an adverse environment, plants have gradually evolved a complicate adaptation mechanism to avoid photo damage. In this paper, the structural composition of thylakoid membrane lipids, and protein components of four major photosynthetic protein complexes locating on thylakoid membrane, as well as their regulatory mechanism involving in photo damage and repair of the photosystem under highly intensive light stress were reviewed. In addition, we pointed out that the structures and functions of numerous of low-abundance chloroplast small proteins are largely unknown due to the technical limited in the current research, and prospected the future research direction.

Key words: thylakoid membrane, photosystem, light stress, light adaptation, photosynthetic membrane lipids